Heal The Doctor
by Lollipop456
Summary: Jack becomes ill with a mysterious disease, and the only one who is willing to keep him alive is Charlie. CharliexJack friendship. Takes place during the middle of Season 1.
1. Chapter 1

Jack Shepherd was usually up and at 'em, but for some reason...he felt like sleeping in. It's not that he was tired, he just felt like he had a cold. His eyes peaked open when he heard footsteps, thankfully it was only Charlie Pace, a recovering junkie and his best friend on the island.

"Hey mate! Time to rise and shine" Charlie whispered.

Jack threw the pillow over his head and then stood to his feet, his eyes were sore and his skin was cold and pale.

"Is everyone all right?" Jack asked in a weery voice.

"Yeah, we just need some logs for the fire...nobody can do it because they are too busy hunting." Charlie explained.

"I'm on it" Jack said in a weak voice, he pratically stumbled out of the cave.

"You know, I should do this. You look like hell, no offense" Charlie said shyly.

"I'm fine, Charlie. I just haven't slept in awhile" Jack said assuringly.

"Hey, I know you are the doctor and all that. But...you really do need your rest" Charlie explained.

"Look...can you get off my back?" Jack snapped.

Charlie was hurt by those words, he walked away slowly. Not knowing what to think. Jack suddenly became lightheaded, Charlie flashed around after hearing the logs collapse. There was Jack...not moving at all, just laying there helplessly. Passed out on the ground. Charlie ran back over to him and tried to wake his good friend.

"Jack! Jack, come on. Say something...Come on. Wake up." Charlie urged his unconcious pal.

Suddenly, Jack opened his eyes slightly. He smiled when he realized he was in his best friend's arms, he then looked around and saw his bag.

"Charlie, I need you to do something...get me back into the cave and then look in my bag for my aspirin" Jack explained.

Charlie helped Jack into the cave, and then rummaged his bag for the bottle of aspirin. He watched as Jack took two of the pills and then laid down.

He didn't know much about doctoring or medication, but he knew whatever was wrong with Jack. Wouldn't go away with a couple of painkillers.


	2. Only Friend

Charlie took a nap in the caves, where he could keep a closer eye on Jack. Of course, he wasn't surprised to find that Jack kept getting worse. Charlie fell asleep for an hour, and woke up to find Jack sweating and panting.

"I'm going to get you some help..." Charlie stated, he got up and left Jack.

Charlie ran as fast as his legs would carry him, considering just two weeks ago he was a herione junkie. Charlie's legs felt like rubber, but he had to keep running for Jack's sake. He finally arrived at the beach, running into Kate Austen, the prettiest and most sharpest girl on the whole island (according to Boone Carlyle).

"Charlie, what's wrong?" Kate asked, trying to calm Charlie down.

"It's Jack...He's burning up with fever, he can't move an inch. Kate, you've got to come and help me!" Charlie urged.

Kate seemed reluctant, she looked at John Locke who was working on the raft.

"Kate!" Charlie cried to the distracted Kate.

"Charlie...Do you think you can take care of him for right now? I have to help them with the raft!" Kate explained in a hasty manner.

"I don't understand you! Jack is more than a friend to you, and all you care about is that goddamn raft! Jack has taken care of everyone, including me! Me, a druggie from a punk band." Charlie yelled.

"You know I want to take care of him" Kate whispered.

"No, you don't. You want to take care of yourself" Charlie growled.

Charlie stormed back to the caves, more determined now than ever to save Jack's life. He may of been on his own, but Jack was his best friend. Had it not been for the good doctor, Charlie would of still been a delluisonal druggie. If Charlie lost Jack, he would lose himself.


	3. A Mystery Deepens

When Charlie finally got back to the caves, Jack was asleep. Charlie didn't want to wake him, he needed the rest. He found an old pottery bowl and a few cloths. He then scooped some water into the bowl and dipped the cloths...he had to bring the fever down. Jack woke up coughing, Charlie ran to be by his side...Jack was a little dazed and weak, Charlie grabbed a cloth and put it on his brow.

"Hey" Charlie whispered softly

Jack smiled and took Charlie's hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

"How long was I out for?" Jack asked in the most weakest voice in the world.

"My best guess is an hour...You passed out for awhile there. I didn't want to interrupt your little nap" Charlie said with a laugh.

Charlie moved the cloth around Jack's brow hoping the fever would break sooner than later. Suddenly, Charlie took notice of something...a rash on Jack's right arm. He then gently turned Jack's face, a huge reddish rash had covered it.

"Jack...what's happen to you?" Charlie asked himself.

"Hey Charlie, promise me that I'll be okay...for the sake of everyone. Just say I'll be okay" Jack pleaded in an urgent whisper.

"You'll be okay, I swear. I'm going to take the best care of you, mate. I promise" Charlie cooed gently.

The next five days were extraciuing for Charlie, it did consist of late nights full of night sweats, vomitting, panic attacks, violent coughing, seizures. But Charlie never quitted on Jack, no matter how bad things got. Charlie became isolated while caring for his pal, he wouldn't talk to anyone especially Kate. He was still puzzled as to why she wouldn't help him with Jack. Then one day, Kate came by the caves. Charlie covered Jack with a blanket and then stepped out of the cave.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Charlie asked in a hasty whisper.

"I came to help with Jack" Kate said with a little smile.

"Help? I asked you for help when he was passed out and burning up with a fever!" Charlie yelled, but quickly remembering to keep his voice in a hush tone.

"I'm here now, okay?" Kate said in a calm voice.

"Yeah...but you're not wanted" Charlie snapped back, he returned to the cave and knelt by Jack.

Kate was in such a shock, that she turned around and left...Charlie was in pain to hurt another friend, but the only person he cared about was Jack. And only Jack.


	4. A Clue Revealed

Charlie fell asleep laying next to Jack, he awoke when Jack woke up screaming from a bad dream, he was shaking and sweating. Charlie simmered him down.

'Jack, I'm right here. Okay, go back to sleep. I'm not leaving' Charlie whispered comfortingly

Jack laid back down, he took both of Charlie's hands and held them. He began laughing, Charlie raised an eyebrow.

'Remember you're first night of drug withdrawal, you were a sight for sore eyes. Looked just like this' Jack smiled faintly

'You had to stay up all night just so I wouldn't raise the dead' Charlie smiled

Jack began coughing and then wheezing, he squeezed Charlie's right hand and moved his own up to Charlie's elbow and grasped it. Charlie felt Jack's forehead, he couldn't keep his hand on his brow for a slight second; that's how bad off the fever was, he threw all the blankets off of Jack and saw that same rash had spread onto his stomach & chest.

'Is the rash gone?' Jack asked in a weak tone

'Not yet, Jack. It's started to spread, but I don't want you to worry. I promised I would take the best of care of you, and I will' Charlie assured

Charlie got another soaking cloth and put it on Jack's brow and began circling it around his face. It didn't take Charlie too long to realize that Jack was still holding his hand as if he was paranoid about something. Charlie knew something had probably shaken him up real bad. But what?

'Hey Jack, what happened in your nightmare?' Charlie asked curiously

'I just remembered that day I went hunting by myself, remember? I was lost in a patch of plants and vines. Scared me to death' Jack explained in a whisper

'Plants?' Charlie questioned his weak comrade

Jack was already asleep, Charlie smiled and removed the cloth. But one thing stuck in his head...plants. Charlie settled back down next to Jack and fell asleep with his hand in Jack's own. Charlie now had a clue...the day Jack went missing.


	5. An Unworthy Cure

Jack remained asleep for several hours, Charlie wrote these letters on his finger bandages.

'P-L-A-N-T-S'

Charlie strummed his fingers nervously against his leg, he watched with a smile as Jack slept in peace. He heard footsteps, it was Sun Kwon a Korean female survivor of the crash. She was majestic in the eyes of her husband Jin, and also in the eyes of the local contractor Michael Dawson. She kneeled next to Charlie and looked at him shyly.

'He will be fine, you need some sleep' Sun said strictly

'Thanks but no thanks. I need to break that fever' Charlie rose to his feet and went to check on Jack's temperature.

Sun finally took notice of Charlie's fingers and watched him take care of his friend before finally speaking...

'Why did you write that? That word?' Sun asked as she placed a cloth on Jack's forehead.

'Do you remember the day that we couldn't find Jack?' Charlie began

Jack began to let out a violent cough, Charlie gently helped him sit up and then laid him back down after the attack. Thankfully, it didn't wake him.

'He said something about being trapped in an area filled with vines AND plants...Sun, what if the plants did this to him?' Charlie questioned the young woman

Sun pointed to Jack's neck and look to Charlie for approval, he nodded as she turned Jack's head gently to the left. The rash was all over Jack's neck, or what used to be...the irratiation had spreaded all over the neck. Sun leapt to her feet.

'What's wrong?! He'll be all right won't he?' Charlie asked frantically

'I've seen this before...in my country of Korea. Many who have had the fever, die within the few weeks. If you don't find the antidote in several days, Jack will die' Sun explained sadly

'NO! You have to tell me the cure, Sun...' Charlie pleaded

'There is only one medcince a plant called Yew, if you can drain the pollen from it and give the pollen for him to drink' Sun explained

'I can't have him drink pollen, that'll bloody kill him! There's another way and you know it' Charlie said in sure tone of voice

'There isn't it' Sun said simply, she left the caves.

Charlie rubbed his eyes tensley, Jack woke up from his nap.

'Was Sun just here?' Jack whispered

Charlie saw how weak his friend was, that his eyes were telling, not telling..BEGGING Charlie for help. Jack extended his pale hand and Charlie held it, and squeezed it gently.

'Jack...think you are up for a trip?' Charlie asked


	6. The Voyage

As Sun slept peacefully next to her husband, Jin. She heard someone outside of the tent and stepped outside to investigate. It was Charlie.

"Sun, that plant you told me about. How rare is it?"

"Very. I was small when all of the cases occured. However, if it would be anywhere. It would be near somewherer with volcanic activity."

"Damn."

"Of course. Mountains might have soil firm enough for the plant."

"Great! Now all I've got to do is build a bed for Jack and-"

"Charlie. What are you going to do?"

"I can't take it anymore, Sun. I can't stand by and watch Jack die. There are some days when he can't even breathe. He needs help. He needs help now."

"Let me go with you."

"No. You stay behind with Jin and watch over Claire for me. Me and Jack can manage."

"Jack won't survive. If you are dead."

"I'll be fine, Sun. Don't worry."

Charlie left Sun alone and began to build a makeshift bed for Jack. He took two long branches and wrapped and tied a sheet around them. Binding them together. Carefully, he lifted Jack and placed him on the bed. As Charlie made his way away from the camp, he was caught by Locke.

"Where are you going, Charlie?" Locke asked.

"Get out of my way, Locke. This doesn't concern you."

"You won't make it far. You know it."

"Charlie..."

"Everything's fine, Jack. Go back to sleep."

Jack drifted back to sleep. Pretty soon, Locke stepped out of Charlie's way and he continued walking towards the jungle. It was around dawn when Charlie finally stopped and fell asleep. Four hours later, he woke up to the sound of coughing. Jack was coughing up mounds of blood, Charlie made his way over to him and rubbed his back.

"Let it out, mate. Let it all come out."

When Jack finished coughing, he looked around and finally realized that he was no longer at the camp.

"Charlie, where are we?" Jack asked.

"Not far from the jungle. We should be there in a few hours."

"Why are we going to the jungle?"

"Because you're going to get better there, Jack. You're going to get better."


End file.
